PAINCOURTVILLE — A Paincourtville man was sentenced to four decades in prison after being found guilty of manslaughter in connection with a 2024 stabbing death. 

In May, 41-year-old Charles Fair was convicted after a jury determined he was responsible for the death of Donald Ray Tunson Jr., 35, also of Paincourtville. On Tuesday, Fair was sentenced to 40 years.

According to authorities, Assumption Parish Sheriff's deputies responded to the area of Grant Road in Paincourtville on the evening of Jan. 1, 2024, for a domestic abuse-related call. When deputies arrived, they found a woman who had been physically assaulted by Fair.

A short distance away, deputies found Tunson's body.

During the subsequent investigation, detectives learned that the woman had arrived at Fair's residence with Tunson to drop off her and Fair's child. Fair attempted to get into the vehicle and began striking the woman.

Tunson was trying to help her when Fair stabbed him in the upper torso. Tunson tried to run away but collapsed in front of a neighboring residence, where he died. Detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Fair, who turned himself in and was booked into the Assumption Parish Detention Center.